Human body malodors are generally believed to be caused in part 5 by microbial interaction with sweat gland secretions which produces pungent fatty acids. Aside from cleansing, one way such odors are controlled is by the use of deodorant products, particularly in the underarm area of the body.
Deodorant products generally contain a safe and effective level of perfume or other odor masking ingredients, an antimicrobial active ingredient, or a combination thereof, incorporated into a vehicle from which the active ingredients may be deposited on the skin. The deodorant products of the present invention relate to gel deodorant compositions. These gel products may be in the form of solid sticks, semi-solid sticks, or other softer, gel products.
Gel deodorant compositions have several advantages over other types of stick formulations. For example, they usually leave no more than a minimal amount of residue on the skin, and they glide easily over the skin when applied. Deodorant compositions of the gel type generally incorporate three key ingredients: a material known to have deodorant efficacy, a gelling agent, and a polar solvent system.
The gelling agents used most often in deodorant gel compositions are of the fatty acid soap type. The gelling agents used in these compositions include, for instance, the sodium or potassium salts of C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 fatty acids. These types of gel compositions most often utilize a highly polar alcohol solvent as the primary polar solvent ingredient, which is necessary to form the gel structure with the gelling agent. Monohydric and dihydric alcohols, especially, propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, are typically used for this purpose. The gel deodorant compositions of this type typically contain some water, however the amount of water is limited since its presence decreases solubility of the gelling agent and, consequently, can negatively affect structural integretity of the gel as well as impart a wet feel to the product.
Although alcohol/soap gel deodorants are quite popular and commonly used, it would be desirable to provide an improved alcohol/soap deodorant gel composition that exhibited improved mildness to the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a composition. It is also an object of the present invention to provide gel S deodorant compositions having reduced levels of polar solvents that can be relatively irritating to the skin, e.g., mono-and dihydric alcohols such as propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, and to replace them with milder ingredients.
It is another object of this invention to provide gel deodorant compositions containing decreased levels of mono- and di-hydric alcohols for reduced skin irritation and increased levels of water while retaining a similar overall level of gel integrity without causing excessive, undesirable wet feel on the skin. These and other benefits of the present invention as may be disclosed or become apparent to those skilled in the art can be obtained according to the invention described below.
All percentages herein are by weight of the compositions unless otherwise indicated. All ratios are weight ratios unless otherwise indicated. All percentages, ratios, and levels of ingredients referred to herein are based on the actual amount of the ingredient, and do not include solvents, fillers, or other materials with which the ingredient may be combined as commercially available products, unless otherwise indicated.
The invention hereof can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the essential elements described herein as well as any of the preferred or optional ingredients also described herein.